******
After transferring to New York proved too far, he agreed with Duan Xiubo to meet directly in Milan. Upon landing, brand representatives picked him up and took him to the hotel.
Due to Fashion Week, the atmosphere seemed extraordinary. Trams crisscrossed the city, accompanied by polite greetings from the brand staff during the 20-minute drive to the hotel. On the way, Luo Ding noticed three different photography crews shooting near various buildings.
Female celebrities braved the cold in short-sleeve or sleeveless dresses, exposing their arms and legs while striking poses as if unbothered. Assistants would immediately rush to drape them in thick coats as soon as the cameras stopped clicking.
Such is the entertainment industry’s work during the busy season.
Luo Ding thought, since he wasn’t there for the runway, he should keep a low profile. He casually took a few photos at the hotel to post online.
His fans flooded the comments section with laughter and playful critiques: “Son, look at others flooding social media with polished photos! You just sit cross-legged on the bed, in a white shirt and jeans, with luggage beside you. If it weren’t for your good looks, this photo would’ve been wasted!”
Wu Fangyuan felt indignant reading the comments about poor photography: “They’re only complimenting his looks!”
Luo Ding had been invited by a sub-brand of a fashion label. Though not a spokesperson, he had collaborated extensively on ads, marking a honeymoon period of partnership. Meeting the sub-brand’s design director, Jason, the flamboyant man greeted him warmly: “I saw your Crouching Dragon. You were dazzlingly handsome in it, almost unreal! You’ve inspired our designers. If you were a model, I’d fight to make you our finale.”
“Thank you,” Luo Ding replied, slightly uncomfortable with the soft little hand that the other party did when he spoke. (An overly familiar gesture.)
The sub-brand operated independently from the main label’s mixed-gender lines, and its spokespeople were often top-tier domestic stars. Luo Ding’s recent ad collaboration caused a stir, as his fame had surged after Tang Legend and Crouching Dragon, rivaling top-tier celebrities. This attracted both praise and envy.
“Isn’t it just a small sub-brand?” detractors sneered. But the ads’ impact silenced critics, sparking debates about his growing influence.
Fashion Week had only just begun, and M.M., despite being a sub-brand, stood out with the backing of a renowned parent company. Its show was held in an abandoned warehouse, with a luxurious runway starkly contrasting the gritty setting, creating a striking juxtaposition.
As an honored guest, Luo Ding had excellent seating. People around him were quietly sizing him up. The number of Asians in the show has been increasing over the years, but the appearance of a new face still attracted more attention. Although Luo Ding’s outfit could only be considered average with some highlights, sitting among all kinds of monsters and ghosts in the venue who tried their best to make themselves look different, he actually stood out with an alternative style. The refreshing and natural style is unique. A person sitting there can attract the attention of people around him without saying much.
Luo Ding remained silent. He was not nervous when facing the prying eyes from around him, which gradually became more and more obvious. He calmly displayed his aura. This posture made those who originally thought he was just an ordinary spectator dare not act rashly.
Luo Ding heard the familiar voice, he first thought he had made a mistake. But leaning forward slightly, Tommy Lee was sitting a few seats away, holding a light brown invitation, looking at him uncertainly. Meeting his black and white eyes, Tommy Lee couldn’t help but smile a small smile, which was quickly suppressed.
“Why are you here?” Tommy Lee’s voice was as low as ever. He had lost weight and looked stronger, and his face looked good.
Luo Ding has not seen him again since Stennis’s banquet. It has been almost half a year by rough calculation. Now that he saw the other person’s face at first glance, Luo Ding was also a little surprised.
“Brand invitation.” He shook the invitation letter in his hand. The black cursive characters curved into a beautiful arc, and the two Chinese characters Luo Ding and the English annotation below flashed by.
Tommy Lee twitched his lips and said, “That’s not what I meant. I mean, I was also invited by the brand. I am the spokesperson of M·M in North and South America.”
In comparison, Luo Ding didn’t look that powerful. : “I’m just shooting commercials for them.”
Tommy Lee changed seats with a male star sitting next to Luo Ding. After sitting next to Luo Ding, he and Luo Ding were silent.
The last time Luo Ding knew that the other person was taking drugs, he knew that they were not on the same journey. After suffering a loss, he made up his mind to stay away from him. But now that he met him, he couldn’t treat it as if he didn’t know him. There was still some social interaction. It should be done.
But the awkward atmosphere still inevitably spread.
“Last time…” Tommy Lee was silent for a long time and finally spoke, “Last time, I’m sorry.”
“Oh.” Luo Ding knew what he was talking about, so he laughed along with it, “It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. It’s been so long, not to mention it’s not all your fault. “
“I took you there, so I have the responsibility to protect you. I should have thought that those bastards were like this, but I was in a bad mood that day. I didn’t care to pay attention to you.” Tommy Lee’s voice was so soft that Luo Ding almost couldn’t hear it. “I broke up with them.”
Luo Ding was surprised for a moment: “Broke up? Because of me?”
Tommy Lee ignored him. He glanced at him and said disdainfully: “How could it be because of you?”
Luo Ding looked at him with a smile. After a while, the other party replied angrily with an expression of “I can’t win against you“: “Okay! It’s because of you. Is it okay? I’ve quit it myself. In fact, I said I couldn’t quit it, but I subconsciously didn’t want to quit it.”
Luo Ding was really surprised. After looking at Tommy Lee up and down, he realized that he had just watched it. The good look on the other person’s face seemed to be no illusion. He smiled sincerely and patted the other person’s shoulder: “Congratulations.”
“Yeah.” Tommy Lee agreed and said nothing more.
The show began, the male models walked out arrogantly. Luo Ding was recording their expressions and steps, and even the smallest arm swing movements, when suddenly he heard a male voice as thin as a mosquito coming from his ears: “The show is over. Let’s have a meal together later, which can be considered as my belated apology.”
Luo Ding was stunned and looked sideways. Tommy Lee was staring at the stage with sharp and critical eyes, his expression extremely focused.
Where did Luo Ding have time to watch shows in his previous life? Although he has been invited by endorsement brands, most of them have been rejected. Watching this show was really beneficial. What he learned during the on-site observation of professional male models’ show handling is definitely different from the learning direction brought by the teachers invited by the crew to teach stage steps.
These male models, Luo Ding, were introduced by Jason before entering the venue. Apart from being taller, they didn’t look particularly outstanding, and a few of them were particularly ugly. But after putting on different styles of clothes and makeup and walking on the runway, they are the kings of their own world, and their every move attracts the attention of onlookers.
This is an existence in a different field. After Luo Ding was amazed, he began to worry. He didn’t know if he would be able to perform as well in the movie.
*****
Tommy Lee sat across from Luo Ding, visibly annoyed, glancing around the noisy restaurant as if he wished he could gather all the clamor into a sack and throw it out the window.
“You’re seriously making me eat this?” In front of him were two large pizzas, rich with the aroma of meat and overflowing with cheese.
“Aren’t you treating?” Luo Ding, lost in thought, absentmindedly responded while tearing off a slice and taking a big bite. Compared to the pizzas back home, these were far more generously topped.
The pizza place was near the fashion show venue. Naturally, the abandoned factory location wasn’t in an affluent area, so the other diners were mostly people of modest or poor means. However, the flavor of the food was not diminished in the slightest. Luo Ding wasn’t picky, thoroughly enjoying the meal.
Wu Fangyuan, intimidated by Tommy Lee ever since their first meeting—his arrogant and domineering demeanor left a deep impression—kept his head down, busily devouring his own pizza as soon as it arrived.
“…” Tommy Lee looked at the assistant, who seemed no different from his boss, and let out a resigned sigh. Accepting his fate, he tore off a slice of pizza, took a bite while covering his mouth with his hand, but couldn’t shake the feeling of an inexplicable shame.
Sitting in the shadows, he avoided drawing attention from the luxury cars leaving the show. His gaze settled on Luo Ding, watching him for a long moment before realizing the man’s quietness wasn’t due to a lack of conversation but rather because he was lost in thought.
That irritated him even more. “Luo Ding?!”
Luo Ding snapped back to reality. “What’s wrong? Don’t like it? Want me to order you some noodles or a burger?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Noodles or a burger?”
“Luo Ding!”
“Okay, okay… sorry, I didn’t mean to zone out.” Luo Ding reluctantly admitted, “Actually, I came here because I got a role in a new movie where I play a male model. I thought it would be easy to portray, but after watching their performances earlier… they were all excellent. I’m a bit worried I might not do justice to the role.”
“That’s it?” Tommy Lee looked utterly incredulous. “You ignored me and zoned out during dinner over that?”
“Uh…”
Tommy Lee sighed heavily, shaking his head. “I’ve always heard about people being slow-witted and single-minded. Now I finally get to witness it firsthand.”
****
Outside the pizza shop, a black Rolls-Royce was parked by the roadside, blending in among the departing convoys of luxury cars.
Inside the car, Duan Wanqing leaned against the window, staring intently at Luo Ding, who was conversing inside the shop. After a while, he sat back down and flipped through a stack of photos in his hand. The pictures of Luo Ding showed him either expressionless or smiling slightly, his curved eyebrows and warm gaze effortlessly lifting the mood. The angles of the shots suggested they were taken surreptitiously. The people around him changed constantly, but he always seemed to wear the same expression toward everyone.
“Is it really him?” Duan Wanqing muttered. Despite his usual fondness for women, even he had to admit that the young man in the photos, and the one he saw in person, possessed an undeniably exceptional appearance. Still, could mere looks explain why Yu Chanjuan had warned him against interfering with Luo Ding and Duan Xiubo? What kind of charm did this young man really hold?
“Nate, darling~~” A slender, fair arm reached over from the side, the skin smooth and youthful, with nails painted a soft pink. The delicate hand deftly plucked the photos from Duan Wanqing’s grip. After glancing at them, the woman turned her gaze outside the window. “I know who he is—the new role in Blade Warrior III. Is this why you brought me here?”
Duan Wanqing said nothing, nor did he show any anger. His eyes slowly traveled from the woman’s fingers, holding the photos, to the rest of her figure.
Her long, toned legs crossed gracefully, with a black leather dress barely covering half her thighs. Her slender, rounded shoulders exuded a sense of vitality that only comes from a well-maintained physique. Her full chest was half-wrapped in the leather dress, the other half confidently exposed.
Her fiery red hair, perfectly curled, cascaded lightly down her back, covering her snow-white skin. She radiated pure, unadulterated femininity.
“Sophia…” Duan Wanqing nearly lost himself, his gaze lingering on her narrow waist encased in leather, then drifting slightly lower to her round, firm curves.
Sophia glanced at him, her makeup flawless, her almond-shaped eyes smiling subtly. Her full, pink lips curled into an alluring smile. “You really should show some restraint.” As she spoke, she reached behind herself, gently removing Duan Wanqing’s hand from her back.
Duan Wanqing’s frustration grew as he restrained himself, almost blurting out a curse about the mission. But glancing again at Luo Ding, who was still smiling gently in the shop, he hesitated before firmly clasping his hands together.
Such a natural beauty… What a waste on that kid!
*****
The M.M. show was likely the last of the day. After the attendees left, Tommy Lee led Luo Ding backstage. Many models were still present, including M.M.’s flamboyant design director Jason, who swayed his hips as he walked and spoke with a delicate lilt. Various male outfits were carefully folded and packed away. Tommy Lee’s authority was clearly much greater than Luo Ding’s; as they entered, male models stood up to greet him.
Though Tommy Lee chose his words carefully, he mentioned to Jason that he and Luo Ding were intrigued by runway modeling after watching the show. Jason, delighted, circled them while laughing effusively, seemingly very pleased with their physiques.
“I’ve said it before—if you two were models, I’d fight tooth and nail to have you close my show! If you’re interested, that’s fantastic. You’d be amazing at it!”
Everyone understood, of course, that Jason’s words were largely for effect. Having spokespeople express interest in modeling was a boon for the brand, generating buzz in the fashion world. As long as the models used were competent, they served their purpose.
M.M.’s main seasonal show had concluded, but its sub-brands were still active, and Jason managed more than one runway event. If Luo Ding and Tommy Lee wanted to learn modeling, someone could be assigned to teach them. If they succeeded, great; if not, it wouldn’t matter. After all, sometimes the world of runways, despite its solemnity, was just a stage for playing the part.
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